Bus conductor who built 20-lakh-book library among Karnataka’s Padma Shri awardees

Anke Gowda, who in the beginning had the humble job of checking bus tickets and then temporarily working at a sugar factory, spent nearly 80% of his earnings to quietly amass a library of over 2 million books in more than 20 Indian and foreign languages. That lifelong zeal for learning was acknowledged last Sunday when the Union government not only decided to award him the Padma Shri in 2026 but also acknowledged his pioneering work as the founder of one of the largest free access libraries in India.

This year, Gowda along with two others who received the Padma Shri awards from Karnataka are Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi, a doctor, who brought a revolutionary change in the haemophilia care system in the state, and Dr. S. G. Sushilamma, a social worker who has devoted almost half a century to the cause of women and children.

Brought into the world in a farming family in the Mandya district, Gowda, now 75, started his book collection when he was only 20 and also worked as a bus conductor. He had very few reading materials around him when he was a child and during his college life his love for books reached a new height when a professor, Anantharamu, encouraged him.

Gowda never stopped buying books. As a result, he ended up with a master's degree in Kannada literature and worked at a sugar factory for nearly 30 years. He used to invest around 80% of his salary in books.

He sold his house in Mysuru to fund the purchase of more books and set up Pustaka Mane or "Book House", a library in a village called Haralahalli near Srirangapatna in Mandya district.

The library is situated on an area of land in rural Karnataka, and it contains over 2 million books in more than 20 Indian and foreign languages. The books cover a variety of topics such as literature, science, technology, philosophy, mythology, and history.

Among the collection are rare documents from 1832, almost 5, 000 dictionaries, and a vast number of magazines and historical publications. Despite limited staff and resources, Gowda personally cleans, sorts and maintains the library every day.

He now lives within the library premises with his wife, Vijayalakshmi, sleeping on the floor and cooking in a small corner of the building. Along with his son, Sagar, he is working to formally organise the growing collection under the Anke Gowda Jnana Pratishthana foundation. The library’s scale has also been recorded in the Limca Book of Records.

Another Karnataka awards recipient, Dr. Suresh Hanagavadi who is a professor of pathology at JJM Medical College, Davangere, has been giving utmost consideration to the improvement of the lives of haemophilia patients for nearly forty years a patient himself with this condition. Dr. Hanagavadi is the founder of the Karnataka Hemophilia Society in Davangere and has treated people from all over the state. He conducted a massive outreach campaign accessing the most distant villages. Dr. Hanagavadi, with the contribution of the public, philanthropists and the government, has ensured that haemophilia medicines which are very expensive are provided free of charge at government district hospitals throughout Karnataka. He was one of the main movers and shakers in setting up a Hemophilia Treatment Centre in Davangere which provides services to various blood disorders inherited from one parent only. Support in various forms was extended to the society's work which included one from the late playback singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam also.

Reacting to the announcement, Dr. Hanagavadi described the award as unexpected.

“This is the result of our nearly four decades of efforts to get recognition for hemophilia at the national level,” he said. “I am hopeful that this award would help hemophilics get quality healthcare across the country.”

The third Karnataka recipient, Dr. S. G. Sushilamma, has been engaged in social service since 1975, focusing on the welfare of women and children. She founded the Sumangali Sevashram, which runs programmes ranging from children’s libraries and spiritual education to self-employment initiatives for destitute women.

Her work also includes community development projects and campaigns against alcoholism and female foeticide. In 1987, she launched the Children’s Union, aimed at nurturing leadership and civic awareness among young people.

Dr. Sushilamma has been awarded with two honorary doctorates and an international award from Japan for her services in environmental protection.

Eight persons in Karnataka were felicitated with Padma Awards for their work in various fields this year. Shatavadhani R. Ganesh was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his distinguished work.

Prabhakar Kore, Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Shubha Venkatesh Iyengar were some of the Padma Shri awardees from the state. T. Jagannath was also awarded the Padma Shri posthumously for his contributions to commerce and industry.